Nuclear soundpainting dance

JAPANESE BUTHO dance and the phenomenon of soundpainting combine in XP1 Nuclear Power, the debut show from the Galway Soundpainting Orchestra.

XP1 Nuclear Power takes place in the Town Hall Theatre studio on Monday May 19 at 8.30pm and in the Nuns Island Theatre on Friday June 20 at 8.30pm.

The show is conducted by soundpainter Adrien Sourdot, the manager and artistic director of the Galway Soundpainting Orchestra, which features seven musicians.

Butho is an avant-garde dance which arose in Japan following World War II and the nuclear bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Soundpainting is a universal sign language for musicians, dancers, actors, poets, and visual artists, which uses movement and gesture to compose in real time, and as a way to lead improvisations.

XP1 Nuclear Power is about radiation, its effects on living organisms, and the tenacity and adaptability of life itself.

“The idea for the show was to create a hybrid mixing dance, acoustic and electronic music, something original for the Irish scene,” said Adrien. “I have learnt Soundpainting from its creator Walter Thompson in Paris. I want to introduce Soundpainting into Ireland.”

Tickets are available from the Town Hall on 091 - 569777 or www.tht.ie